2015: It’s Buhari Or Nothing – Senator Sulaiman Nazif

Ahead of 2015 general election, Senator Sulaiman Nazif has cautioned the newly formed political party, All Progressives Congress (APC) not to field any candidate other than General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) if the party must win the presidential election.

Senator Nazif who represented Bauchi North Senatorial District between 2007 and 2011 told newsmen in Zaria that the youth wing in the country were rooting for Buhari to re-contest the presidential election in 2015.

He said even if internal democracy was to prevail, Buhari who was the three-time presidential candidate of one of the parties that formed the APC remained the best presidential material in the next general election.

Nazif said: “General Muhammadu Buhari was about 42 years old when he became the head of state. He was made head of state because of his past records as governor and as Petroleum Minister. When he was head of state, Nigerians appreciated what he did. And that is why we are calling on him to come back and re-contest the presidential election. Until he wins the election, we will continue to call on him to re-contest and re-contest.

“We, the younger ones, are saying that he should come out and re-contest; we say he should come out. I am one of the younger persons in Nigeria.

I am one of the greatest beneficiaries of democracy in Nigeria today, but we are insisting, appealing and saying that the mandate he contested thrice, he should come back to re-contest and claim the leadership he has been doing since when he was a youth because they didn’t allow him to finish it.

We will not rest until he agrees to come back and contest, we will work for him; protect his vote to ensure that he becomes the president of this country. “I can tell you that when Buhari was head of state, he left legacies behind, and when he was in the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), he helped the young people in the country.

All the professionals in Nigeria benefitted from General Buhari. “What I am trying to point out is that when we talk of internal democracy, General Buhari is a member of APC, he is a Nigerian, he was one of those that fought for the unity of this country, so he has the mandate to contest.

“He is one individual alive today in the history of Nigeria that has more than 12 million votes uninfluenced by money or anything, so if he contests again he will win.

I asked those who contested with Buhari whether they will contest again, and they said they will never contest again with him because of the voting margin.

“Today in Nigeria, there is nobody that can beat him in a fair and free election, I am a young man, I know what the man can do, I know the kind of overwhelming support he has, and we are talking about democracy, government of the people by the people for the people.

General Buhari is for the people; he is always for the masses. “So internal democracy is what will allow Buhari to emerge because he has the support, he is capable, he is fit, he is committed and he has the love of this country. He has the votes of the people.”